George weber



(No Model.)

G. WEBER.

RBGLINING CHAIR.

No. 488,911. Patelited Dec. 27, 1892 2 Sheets-Sheet 1/ A TTOHNE VS m: mums mans ca. Pwo'routno,,wAsumomu. o. c.

(No' Model.)

2 Sheets8heet 2.

G. WEBER. REGLINING CHAIR.

Patented Dec. 27,1892.

W/ TNE SSE S moo A TTOHNEYS THE uonqls Pzrzn; co, PnoTo-uma, WASNINGTON, 0. c4

ATENT ()rrrcn.

GEORGE WEBER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RECLlNlNG-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,911, dated December 27, 1892.

Application filed October 30, 1891. Serial No. 410,302. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, GEORGE WEBER, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Folding Chair, Rocker, and Couch Combined, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The objects of this invention are to provide a chair of commodious form and shapely appearance, which may have its parts quickly changed in adjustment, to convert it from its normal shape as an arm chair, into a rocking chair, an extension reclining chair, or a couch, the members of the device being also adapted for compact folding together to facilitate storage or shipment.

To these ends myinvention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter decribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device adjusted to produce a rocking chair or staionary arm chair by a slight movement of aclamping screw;Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section, of parts enlarged and broken away from the chair, embraced between the points 2-2 in Fig. 5; Fig. 2 is a broken sectional and detached plan view of a device to connect the leg rest of the device with the seat frame and rockers; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of parts shown in Fig. 2, on the broken line 3--3 in said figure; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of members of the device adjusted to form a couch, the section being on the line 66 in Fig. 5; and Fig. 5 is a plan view broken, of the device when its parts are arranged to form a couch.

The base frame whereon other-parts of the device is supported, consists of two side bars a, held spaced apart by a stretcher b, in front and a clamping rod 0, that co-acts with other parts as will be explained; there being depending legs a', formed with or secured to the side bars, of a suitable length to elevate the seat of the chair a proper degree, and casters 0., are placed on their lower ends.

A preferably rectangular seat frame A, is provided which may be covered as shown With Woven cane strands, or any other preferred material, and at each side of the frame a depending rocker d, is affixed.

The rockers are each composed of a metal bar bent edgewise to give them a proper curvature, and at each of the corners d, a limb is formed, which limbs are parallel in pairs and are joined at their upper ends by chord plates d these plates being screwed against the side edges of the seat frame, serve to stiffen the latter and connect the rockers therewith.

The rockers (Z are separated a proper distance to rest their edges upon the base frame side bars a and are forwardly stayed by a transverse brace c.

To the rockers d are pivoted the longitudinally slotted link plates fand through the said links and the bars a of the base frame, passes the clamping rod 0 provided with the collars f and handle a and by means of which the links are clamped to the base frame.

When the link plates f, are loose, the seat frame A, may be rocked on the base frame; the clamping of these parts, serving to hold the seat-frame level or rearwardly inclined as may be required.

There are two spiral springs g, secured at proper points oppositely on the rockers and frame bars a, which aid the rocking movement of the chair seat when the device is used as a rocker.

The side pieces h of the backB are provided with ears on their lower ends which are pivoted at h to ears on the rocker frame. Arm rest bars i provided with racks i are pivoted at t" to the back and their outer ends are pivoted to link plates 70, which have their lower ends pivoted to the rocker frame. Rest blocks 1' secured on the bars 1' are provided with recesses t in their lower sides above the racks i Curved braces m are pivoted to the back byashaftm extending transversely across the rear of the backB and the forward ends of the braces are provided with hooks m engaging the racks 71 so that the back can be held at any desired inclination.

The leg and foot rest of the chair, consists of a rectangular frameC, that is proportioned in length to the dimensions of the seat frame and the height it is supported from the floor, so that a proper inclination can be given to the leg rest and the latter be permitted to occupy a position directly below the seat frame when not in service, as will be explained.

Upon the side edges of the leg rest frame 0, similar flat strengthening plates 72 are attached, to which a foot rest bar D, is pivoted by its ends at the normally lower edge of the frame, the bar being shaped to afford a foot rest of a suitable height, which may be readily turned down flat upon the leg rest when not in use.

On the edge of the leg rest frame 0, that is opposite the foot rest D, the plates at, are proj ected to produce the ears n, which areoppositely perforated to receive a cylindrical joint rod n whereon the U shaped links 71, are located, said links each having theirparallel and oppositely perforated limbs strung upon the rod body, near each of its ends, so as to loosely embrace an earn. Between the links a a spiral spring n is mounted upon the rod m and sufticien tly compressed to exert longitudinal pressure. The joint rod 91 is slightly stronger than the entire width of the leg rest with the plates at, in place, so that an endwise movement of the rod is permitted, which is limited by the heads a that are formed on or affixed to the terminals of the rod. At one end of the joint rod M, a short key n, is longitudinally secured thereon, one end of which is against the adjacent head a Said key passing loosely through the limb of the link 17?, that is nearest to the red head, has sufficient length to extend through the ear n, engaged by this link when the rod head is in contact with the outer limb of the link, as shown by full lines in Figs. 2 and 2. At the opposite end of the joint rod 02 the longitudinal locking key 92 is located in alignment with the key it, on the joint rod, at such a distance from the adjacent rod head as will permit the key to slide in aligning slots formed in the inner limb of the U- shaped link a on this end of the rod,and the ear 'n, loosely embraced by said link; the length of'the keys being so proportioned to the thickness of the link limbs and ears on each side of the leg frame, as to permit the keys to escape the slots in said ears when the joint rod 91 is shoved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2*, and interlock therewith when all the slots are made to align, the latter connection of parts being enforced by the expansive action of the spring 71 which bears at one end on the inner end of the key 02 and oppositely on the inner face of the link limb that is farthest removed from the head of the rod at this end of the same.

By the construction of parts just described, the leg rest 0, may be locked fast to the links 91 or be released therefrom, and it will be apparent that when the last mentioned adj ust'ment is effected by pushing the rod endwise, if the key slots are thrown out of alignment, the links will remain in an unlocked condition until said slots are again aligned, and the force of the spring at, allowed to antomatically shift the rod endwise and interlock the keys n n", as has been explained.

Upon the under side of the seat frame A, parallel with and near to each side edge of the same, two similar guide rods 0, are secured by their ends, there being an upwardly bent limb formed near each end of the rods, whereby their main portions are sustained a short distance below the seat frame and have an equal length therewith. The links niof the leg rest 0, are loosely engaged with the main portions of the guide rods '0, so that a vibration of the leg rest and attached foot rest D, may be effected when these parts are adjusted to'permit such a vibration, the links in this case being locked fast to the ears 01.

Upon the inner sides of the rockers 01, two track bars 19 are attached near each end and extend from a point just above the brace e, rearward a short distance beyond the rocker frames, these ends of the track bars being preferably curved edgewise downwardly so as to afiord space for parts that engage therewith when the-leg rest is shoved below the seat frame. At the front end of each track bar 19, a recess is formed as shown in Fig. 3 wherein short racks p, are pivoted by their front ends, having their teeth hook shaped and forwardly inclined, there being a throat formed between the front end of each rack and the flanges 19 left standing on the track bars for the entrance of other parts as will be explained.

On the outside of the plates 72, swinging braces r, are pivoted at a proper distance from the joint rod 02 which braces of equal length are connected by a cross bar 0", and taper edgewise toward their free ends that terminate in short toes r which may be interlocked with any of the hooked teeth of the racks 19, so as to give the leg rest 0, more or less inclination, and when the toes are engaged with the extreme forward teeth of the racks, the leg rest will be sustained in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 6.

When the leg rest 0, is to be removed from in front of the seat frame A, and placed below it, the links a are released from their locked connection with the ears 'n, so that the adjacent transverse edge of the leg rest frame will hang on the pendent links; the leg rest is now rocked away from the edge of the seat frame, so that the toes of the braces T, will drop into the slot between the front teeth of the racks p, and flanges p of the track bars 19, then a sliding movement of the leg rest frame rearward will rock the racks p, upwardly so as to permit the toes r, to glide below and take a position on the top edges of the track bars p, rearward of the racks; which latter will then fall back into a normal position for an engagement with the toes if the leg rest is drawn out.

Upon the back frame B, a leg frame 13 is pivoted near the upper ends of both frames, so as to fold on the back frame, or be extended at a right angle thereto, the latter position shown in Fig. 4, being given to the leg frame when the entire device is adjusted in its parts to form a couch, and in this case the foot rest D, becomes a head board for the structure.

For the purposes of storage or shipment, the device is to be compactly folded together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a seat frame,and guide rods thereon, of a leg rest, links engaging the guide rods and having a pivotal connection with the leg rest, and means forlocking the links to the leg rest, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a seat frame, and guide rods thereon, of a leg rest, links on the guide rods and having a pivotal connection with the leg rest, and a spring actuated looking mechanism between the links and the leg rest, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a seat frame, and guide rods thereon, of a joint rod provided with keys at its ends, links on the joint rod, a leg rest provided with ears apertured to receive the joint rod between the members of the links, the ears and links being slotted to receive the keys, and a spring surrounding the said rod between the links, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The combination with a seat frame and a leg rest having a hinged and sliding connection therewith, of track bars below the seat frame and having their front ends recessed, racks pivoted in the recesses of the said bars, a short distance from the ends thereof, and brace bars pivoted to the leg rest and provided with toes, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with a base frame, a seat frame, parallel rocker frames depending from the side edges of the seat frame, a device to lock the rockers to the base-frame, and two parallel depending guide rods longitudinally extending below on the seat frame, of two track bars below the guide rods and on the rockers, a leg rest connected by ears thereon, and two links and a joint rod to the guide rods, a spiral spring between the links on the joint rod, a pivoted rack in a recess at the front on each track bar, and two braces pivoted by one end of each upon the sides of the leg rest oppositely, having a laterally bent toe on the opposite ends which will engage any of the teeth of the racks or glide beneath said racks and slide on the track bars, substantially as described.

GEORGE WEBER. Witnesses:

WM. P. PATTON, E. M. CLARK. 

